Zip fastener with augmented indication

ABSTRACT

A zip fastener consisting of two zipper tapes, two series of interlocking teeth and a zipper slider is disclosed. Each interlocking tooth includes a front engagement end piece and a rear extension end piece respectively extended from a tooth body thereof in reversed direction. The rear extension end piece provides a track for supporting and guiding sliding movement of the zipper slider and an augmented portion that exhibits a visual indication.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to zip fastener technology and more particularly, to a zip fastener with augmented indication, which uses specially designed interlocking teeth to enhance its clamping stability with the zipper tapes, wherein the rear extension end piece that extends from the rear side of each interlocking tooth comprises a track for supporting and guiding sliding movement of the zipper slider and an augmented portion that exhibits a visual indication. Further, the track comprises a smooth track base with a reduced thickness, an upright sliding support wall located at one lateral side of the smooth track base, and a L-shaped space defined between the smooth track base and the upright sliding support wall such that the upright side flanges of the bottom clamping panel of the zipper slider are movable in the L-shaped space for direct contact with the smooth track base and upright sliding support wall of the track of the rear extension end piece of each interlocking tooth.

2. Description of the Related Art

A zip fastener generally comprises two zipper tapes, two series of interlocking teeth respectively affixed to the zipper tapes, and a zipper slider coupled to the two series of interlocking teeth and movable by an external force to lock and unlock the two series of interlocking teeth. However, when the user pulls the zipper slider, the transverse pulling force that is applied to the two series of interlocking teeth can stretch the junction between each zipper tape and the respective series of interlocking teeth, leading to sliding instability of the zipper slider. Further, when the zipper slider is sliding on the zipper tapes, the soft zipper tapes can be forced to curve and to project into the inside of the zipper slider, causing the zipper slider to get stuck.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. It is therefore the main object of the present invention to provide a zip fastener, which facilitates smooth sliding of the zipper slider and provides an augmented portion that is freely configurable to exhibit a significant visual indication.

To achieve this and other objects of the present invention, a zip fastener comprises two zipper tapes, two series of interlocking teeth respectively affixed to the zipper tapes, and a zipper slider coupled to the two series of interlocking teeth and movable by an external force to lock and unlock the two series of interlocking teeth. Each interlocking tooth comprises a tooth body, a front engagement end piece forwardly extended from a front side of the tooth body, and a rear extension end piece backwardly extended from an opposing rear side of the tooth body. The rear extension end piece comprises a track for supporting and guiding sliding movement of the zipper slider, and an augmented portion that exhibits a visual indication. The zipper slider comprises a slider body, a bottom clamping panel and a top clamping panel. The slider body comprises a center spacer block, a nose and a pull tab. The center spacer block has opposing top and bottom sides thereof respectively connected to the bottom clamping panel and the top clamping panel. The nose is coupled with the pull tab, having two opposite ends thereof affixed to the top clamping panel. The bottom clamping panel comprises two opposite upright side flanges respectively upwardly extended from two opposite lateral sides thereof. The top clamping panel comprises two opposite flat side wing portions. The flat side wing portions of the top clamping panel and the upright side flanges of the bottom clamping panel define therebetween an extended open space.

Preferably, the track of the rear extension end piece of each interlocking tooth comprises a smooth track base with a reduced thickness, an upright sliding support wall located at one lateral side of the smooth track base and formed integral with the rear side of the associating tooth body, and a L-shaped space defined between the smooth track base and the upright sliding support wall. The upright side flanges of the bottom clamping panel of the zipper slider are movable in the L-shaped space for direct contact with the smooth track base and upright sliding support wall of the track of the rear extension end piece of each interlocking tooth.

Preferably, the augmented portion of the rear extension end piece of each interlocking tooth is selectively made in the form of a geometric figure, figure, symbol or alphabetic word.

Preferably, the thickness of the augmented portion of the rear extension end piece of each interlocking tooth is approximately one half of the thickness of the tooth body of each interlocking tooth.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an oblique top elevational view of a zip fastener in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an oblique bottom elevational view of the zip fastener in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 3.

FIG. 4 illustrates one series of interlocking teeth arranged along one side edge of one zipper tape in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an oblique bottom elevational view, in an enlarged scale, of a part of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is an oblique top elevational view of the zipper slider of the zip fastener in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 7 is an oblique bottom elevational view of the zipper slider of the zip fastener in accordance with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIGS. 1-7, a zip fastener with augmented indication in accordance with the present invention is shown. The zip fastener comprises interlocking teeth 1, a zipper slider 2 and a pair of zipper tapes 3. The interlocking teeth 1 are respectively affixed to one side edge of each of the zipper tape 3 in a staggered manner using injection molding technology. Each interlocking tooth 1 comprises a tooth body 11, a front engagement end piece 12 extended from a front side of the tooth body 11, and a rear extension end piece 13 extended from an opposing rear side of the tooth body 11. The rear extension end piece 13 comprises a track 131 and an augmented portion 132. The track 131 of the rear extension end piece 13 of the interlocking tooth 1 comprises a smooth track base 1311 with a reduced thickness, an upright sliding support wall 1312 located at one lateral side of the smooth track base 1311 and formed integral with the rear side of the tooth body 11, and a L-shaped space 1313 defined between the smooth track base 1311 and the upright sliding support wall 1312.

The zipper slider 2 comprises a slider body 21, a bottom clamping panel 22 and a top clamping panel 23. The slider body 21 comprises a center spacer block 211, a nose 212 and a pull tab 213. The center spacer block 211 of the slider body 21 has opposing top and bottom sides thereof respectively connected to the bottom clamping panel 22 and the top clamping panel 23. The nose 212 is inserted through a coupling hole 2131 of the pull tab 213 with two opposite ends thereof affixed to the top clamping panel 23. The bottom clamping panel 22 comprises two opposite upright side flanges 221 respectively upwardly extended from two opposite lateral sides thereof. The top clamping panel 23 comprises two opposite flat side wing portions 231. An extended open space 232 is defined between the flat side wing portions 231 of the top clamping panel 23 and the upright side flanges 221 of the bottom clamping panel 22 and neighbored to an integrated inner surface 2311 of the flat side wing portion 231, more specifically, the extended open space 232 is defined between the integrated inner surface 2311 of the flat side wing portions 231 of the top clamping panel 23 and the zipper tapes 3.

In use, the zipper slider 2 is coupled with the interlocking teeth 1 with the upright side flange 221 of the bottom clamping panel 22 supported on the tracks 131 of the rear extension end piece 13 of the interlocking tooth 1. At this time, the front engagement end pieces 12 of the interlocking teeth 1 at the two zipper tapes 3 are separated by the center spacer block 211 of the slider body 21 of the zipper slider 2. When the user pulls the pull tab 213 to close the interlocking teeth 1, the bottom clamping panel 22 of the zipper slider 2 is moved along the tracks 131 of the rear extension end pieces 13 of the interlocking tooth 1. During movement of the zipper slider 2 from respective bottom ends of the zipper tapes 3 toward respective opposing top ends of the zipper tape 3, the front engagement end pieces 12 of the interlocking teeth 1 at one zipper tape 3 are respectively forced toward the front engagement end pieces 12 of the interlocking teeth 1 at the other zipper tape 3. Subject to the guiding of the inner walls 2211 of the upright side flange 221 of the bottom clamping panel 22 of the zipper slider 2, the front engagement end pieces 12 of the interlocking teeth 1 at one zipper tape 3 are respectively forced into engagement with the front engagement end pieces 12 of the interlocking teeth 1 at the other zipper tape 3. When wishing to open the zip fastener, pull the pull tab 213 in the reversed direction to move the center spacer block 211 of the slider body 21 of the zipper slider 2 in between the front engagement end pieces 12 of the interlocking teeth 1 at one zipper tape 3 and the front engagement end pieces 12 of the interlocking teeth 1 at the other zipper tape 3, thereby unlocking the interlocking teeth 1.

The design of the rear extension end pieces 13 of the interlocking teeth 1 increases the clamping depth of the interlocking teeth 1 in the zipper tapes 3, enhancing the clamping stability between the interlocking teeth 1 and the zipper tapes 3.

Further, the design of the extended open space 232 that is defined between the integrated inner surface 2311 of the flat side wing portions 231 of the top clamping panel 23 and the zipper tapes 3 allows the augmented portions 132 of the rear extension end pieces 13 of the interlocking teeth 1 to be freely configured to exhibit a significant visual indication. Further, the thickness of the augmented portions 132 is approximately equal to one half of the thickness of the tooth bodies 11 of the interlocking teeth 1. Further, the junction between the augmented portion 132 and tooth body 11 of each interlocking tooth 1 exhibits a smooth surface, facilitating the indication design of the augmented portion 132. The indication design of the augmented portion 132 of the rear extension end piece 13 of each interlocking tooth 1 can be a geometric figure, figure, symbol or alphabetic word. FIG. 1 illustrates the augmented portions 132 of the rear extension end pieces 13 of the interlocking teeth 1 in a form of English alphabets.

Further, when moving the zipper slider 2 along the tracks 131 of the rear extension end pieces 13 of the interlocking teeth 1, the upright side flanges 221 of the bottom clamping panel 22 of the zipper slider 2 are sliding in the space 1313 kept in contact with the smooth track bases 1311 and upright sliding support walls 1312 of the tracks 131 of the rear extension end pieces 13 of the interlocking teeth 1. Since the material of the smooth track base 1311 has a hard characteristic, the smooth track base 1311 will not be engaged into the zipper slider 2, preventing the zipper slider 2 from getting stuck curing its sliding movement. 

What the invention claimed is:
 1. A zip fastener, comprising two zipper tapes, two series of interlocking teeth respectively affixed to said zipper tapes, and a zipper slider coupled to said two series of interlocking teeth and movable by an external force to lock and unlock said two series of interlocking teeth, wherein: each said interlocking tooth comprising a tooth body defining a front side and an opposing rear side, a front engagement end piece forwardly extended from said front side of said tooth body and a rear extension end piece backwardly extended from said rear side of said tooth body, said rear extension end piece comprising a track for supporting and guiding sliding movement of said zipper slider and an augmented portion that exhibits a visual indication; said zipper slider comprising a slider body, a bottom clamping panel and a top clamping panel, said slider body comprising a center spacer block with opposing top and bottom sides thereof respectively connected to said bottom clamping panel and said top clamping panel, said bottom clamping panel comprising two opposite upright side flanges respectively upwardly extended from two opposite lateral sides thereof, said top clamping panel comprising two opposite flat side wing portions, said flat side wing portions of said top clamping panel and said upright side flanges of said bottom clamping panel defining therebetween an extended open space.
 2. The zip fastener as claimed in claim 1, wherein said track of said rear extension end piece of each said interlocking tooth comprises a smooth track base with a reduced thickness, an upright sliding support wall located at one lateral side of said smooth track base and formed integral with the said rear side of the associating said tooth body, and a L-shaped space defined between said smooth track base and said upright sliding support wall; said upright side flanges of said bottom clamping panel of said zipper slider are movable in said L-shaped space for direct contact with said smooth track base and said upright sliding support wall of said track of said rear extension end piece of each said interlocking tooth.
 3. The zip fastener as claimed in claim 1, wherein said augmented portion of said rear extension end piece of each said interlocking tooth is selectively made in the form of a geometric figure, figure, symbol or alphabetic word.
 4. The zip fastener as claimed in claim 1, wherein the thickness of said augmented portion of said rear extension end piece of each said interlocking tooth is approximately one half of the thickness of the said tooth body of each said interlocking tooth. 